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Mixed Media Essentials: Color, Design & Texture

Combine simple techniques and fun materials to create three radiant works of art!

Discover the no-rules approach to creativity as artist Tracy Jacobs guides you through completing three mixed-media masterpieces. Start the class with a black and white composition, and explore pencil, pen and ink techniques to create bold textures. Find out how to mix stunning shades of a single hue as you progress to a monochromatic work, and experiment with rubber stamps, paint washes and markers for eye-catching designs. Dive into basic color theory with your final project and learn how to select a captivating, cohesive color scheme. Play with stickers, stippling and collaging to complete your third composition with vibrant style. In just one class, you’ll finish three beautiful pieces you’ll be proud to hang in your home!

Lesson plan

26:16

Lesson 1. Achromatic, Part One

Meet your instructor, mixed media artist Tracy Jacobs, before diving into the first of three projects you’ll make in class. You’ll explore achromatic (black and white) techniques as Jones walks you through transfer methods and ways to play with value in pen and ink, graphite and more.

Lesson 3. Monochromatic, Part One

Explore an entirely new take on your armchair scene as you start a monochromatic work. Tracy walks you through the most important considerations for working with a monochromatic palette as you lay in the chair, floor and wall. Then develop interesting patterns using contrasting values as you lay in Tracy's butterfly pattern, or any other design of your choosing.

23:25

Lesson 4. Monochromatic, Part Two

Put the finishing touches on your monochromatic scene as you learn how to troubleshoot tricky areas and infuse surprising, unconventional elements to your work. Your creativity will take flight as you introduce reductive and additive techniques, and play with artistic details that can be personalized to your liking.

15:00

Lesson 5. Full Color: The Chair

Explore the joys of working with color as you start the third and final piece in your triptych. Tracy offers tips on choosing a vibrant color scheme by introducing the basics of color theory in a fun, approachable way. Once you’ve chosen your hues, you’ll work on the chair and begin to pepper in a few special, bright details.

14:43

Lesson 6. Full Color: The Floor

If you’ve ever looked at a repeating pattern in a painting and wondered how to recreate it, this lesson is for you! Tracy walks you step-by-step through the process of creating a repeating circle pattern that adds a burst of fun to your work. Next, Tracy helps you hone your eyes to look for interesting patterns found in magazines, photos and other media that you’ll be able to use as a background.

17:33

Lesson 7. Full Color: The Wall

Embrace the joy of working with collage as you mix and match textures and hues to create a vibrant wall background. Tracy demonstrates ways to combine collage pieces with acrylic paint, colored pencil and more that create a surprisingly cohesive finished effect. Your imagination will be brimming with creative ideas as you set out to use these mixed media techniques on any project you can dream up!

"Really enjoying this course so far. Teacher runs the course at the right speed for me. I've learned about quite a few new art products, and some not so new (...) Also some new techniques. Looking forward to part two." - Judymchattie

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Lesson plan

26:16

Lesson 1. Achromatic, Part One

Meet your instructor, mixed media artist Tracy Jacobs, before diving into the first of three projects you’ll make in class. You’ll explore achromatic (black and white) techniques as Jones walks you through transfer methods and ways to play with value in pen and ink, graphite and more.

Lesson 3. Monochromatic, Part One

Explore an entirely new take on your armchair scene as you start a monochromatic work. Tracy walks you through the most important considerations for working with a monochromatic palette as you lay in the chair, floor and wall. Then develop interesting patterns using contrasting values as you lay in Tracy's butterfly pattern, or any other design of your choosing.

23:25

Lesson 4. Monochromatic, Part Two

Put the finishing touches on your monochromatic scene as you learn how to troubleshoot tricky areas and infuse surprising, unconventional elements to your work. Your creativity will take flight as you introduce reductive and additive techniques, and play with artistic details that can be personalized to your liking.

15:00

Lesson 5. Full Color: The Chair

Explore the joys of working with color as you start the third and final piece in your triptych. Tracy offers tips on choosing a vibrant color scheme by introducing the basics of color theory in a fun, approachable way. Once you’ve chosen your hues, you’ll work on the chair and begin to pepper in a few special, bright details.

14:43

Lesson 6. Full Color: The Floor

If you’ve ever looked at a repeating pattern in a painting and wondered how to recreate it, this lesson is for you! Tracy walks you step-by-step through the process of creating a repeating circle pattern that adds a burst of fun to your work. Next, Tracy helps you hone your eyes to look for interesting patterns found in magazines, photos and other media that you’ll be able to use as a background.

17:33

Lesson 7. Full Color: The Wall

Embrace the joy of working with collage as you mix and match textures and hues to create a vibrant wall background. Tracy demonstrates ways to combine collage pieces with acrylic paint, colored pencil and more that create a surprisingly cohesive finished effect. Your imagination will be brimming with creative ideas as you set out to use these mixed media techniques on any project you can dream up!

Tracy Jacobs discovered her love for mixed media when she was studying for her MFA in Painting at the University of Maryland. She works in a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, and her art has been exhibited regionally and nationally. She loves the creative freedom of working with multiple materials and is thrilled to share this exciting art form with Craftsy students!

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(10 reviews)

Great Examples To Mix Media

by Palmira Cheresk on May 5, 2015

What I liked the most of this class is the instructor uses the same theme with different mixed media techniques and materials, this way I really learnt how versatile these techniques can be

What I liked the most of this class is the instructor uses the same theme with different mixed media techniques and materials, this way I really learnt how versatile these techniques can be

Really informative and easy to watch.

by Tweetsweet on December 25, 2014

I really loved this class and took it to enhance my limited knowledge of design and mixed media. I am a cake decorating teacher, but teach art based design concepts to my students as part of a qualification. This qualification teaches students to adapt art based techniques into sugar work/cake design. The class was just what I was looking for as every concept taught in the class ( and a few more) forms part of the assessment criteria. I enjoyed how the class was structured from basic design to ...

I really loved this class and took it to enhance my limited knowledge of design and mixed media. I am a cake decorating teacher, but teach art based design concepts to my students as part of a qualification. This qualification teaches students to adapt art based techniques into sugar work/cake design. The class was just what I was looking for as every concept taught in the class ( and a few more) forms part of the assessment criteria. I enjoyed how the class was structured from basic design to the more though provoking concepts of using colour theory.The instructor was very clear in her instruction and made the class interesting to watch. I would now love to produce my own examples and use these along with my notes to enhance my own students' knowledge. Thank you Craftsy and Tracy, an excellent class and brilliant value for money.

Creative and fun!

by constancel on December 7, 2014

I enjoyed this class and thought the use of three identical compositions to investigate how mixed media can change the final product was great. The instructor made her points very clear and I would love a part2.

I enjoyed this class and thought the use of three identical compositions to investigate how mixed media can change the final product was great. The instructor made her points very clear and I would love a part2.

gentle invitation for newbies

by bijoux_al4451102 on November 8, 2014

great for new artists and playing with mixed media. very simply presented--a child could feel successful.

great for new artists and playing with mixed media. very simply presented--a child could feel successful.

An Armatures Veiw

by marjoriea1449153 on October 22, 2014

I think Tracey is an excellent teacher very easy to understand I can't wait to get started I have always wanted to do something like this but had no idea how to start.

I think Tracey is an excellent teacher very easy to understand I can't wait to get started I have always wanted to do something like this but had no idea how to start.

Frequently asked questions

This sounds like the perfect class for you! Beginning and intermediate artists alike will love instructor Tracy Jacobs’ engaging, easy-to-follow techniques that walk you through each step of working with student-grade acrylic paints, collage, drawing and more. You’ll leave this class with a new understanding of ways to blend various mediums, and you have the option to personalize three in-class projects any way you like!